The present invention relates to an image search apparatus and method for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, and a computer readable memory.
Various image search apparatuses for searching databases which store a large number of image data for desired image data have been proposed. The search methods used in these image search apparatuses are roughly classified into two methods:
a method of storing non-image information such as keywords, photographing dates, and the like in association with image data, and conducting a search based on such information; and
a method of conducting a search on the basis of the image feature amounts (luminance/color difference information, image frequency, histogram, and the like) of image data itself.
In the latter method, a method of submitting certain image data, and searching image data using the image feature amounts of that image data as query keys is called similar image search. This method can effectively provide a search interface which is friendly to a user who has no special knowledge about image processing.
However, when the user has no image data that serve as keys, e.g., when a search is made on the basis of user""s memory or an image idea designed by the user himself or herself, a user interface of the type using similar image search is very difficult to use. Or in some cases such interface cannot be used at all.
Alternatively, the user must acquire image data which serve as keys by some method. For example, the user must retrieve image data which can serve as keys by a search using keywords, and must then conduct a similar image search using the retrieved image data as keys, resulting in troublesome operations.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the conventional problems, and has as its object to provide an image search apparatus and method which can efficiently make an image search by quickly reflecting user""s will, and a computer readable memory.
In order to achieve the above object, an image search apparatus according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, an image search apparatus for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
storage means for storing the plurality of image data in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
input means for inputting an image using an input window;
image feature amount computing means for computing an image feature amount of the image input by the input means; and
image similarity computing means for computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed by the image feature amount computing means, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the storage means.
In order to achieve the above object, an image search method according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, an image search method for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
the storage step of storing the plurality of image data in a storage medium in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
the image feature amount computing step of computing an image feature amount of an image input on an input window; and
the image similarity computing step of computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed in the image feature amount computing step, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the storage medium in the storage step.
In order to achieve the above object, a computer readable memory according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, a computer readable memory that stores a program code of an image search for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
a program code of the storage step of storing the plurality of image data in a storage medium in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
a program code of the image feature amount computing step of computing an image feature amount of an image input on an input window; and
a program code of the image similarity computing step of computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed in the image feature amount computing step, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the storage medium in the storage step.
In order to achieve the above object, an image search apparatus according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, an image search apparatus for, searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
storage means for storing the plurality of image data in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
input means for inputting an image using an input window;
image feature amount computing means for computing an image feature amount of the image input by the input means;
image similarity computing means for computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed by the image feature amount computing means, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the storage means;
image display means for displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed by the image similarity computing means; and
display control means for controlling to display the input window and a display window displayed by the image display means on a single screen of a display unit.
In order to achieve the above object, an image search method according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, an image search method for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
the storage step of storing the plurality of image data in a storage medium in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
the image feature amount computing step of computing an image feature amount of image input on an input window;
the image similarity computing step of computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed in the image feature amount computing step, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the storage medium;
the image display step of displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed in the image similarity computing step; and
the display control step of controlling to display the input window and a display window displayed in the image display step on a single screen of a display unit.
In order to achieve the above object, a computer readable memory according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, a computer readable memory that stores a program code of an image search for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
a program code of the storage step of storing the plurality of image data in a storage medium in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
a program code of the image feature amount computing step of computing an image feature amount of image input on an input window;
a program code of the image similarity computing step of computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed in the image feature amount computing step, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the storage medium;
a program code of the image display step of displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed in the image similarity computing step; and
a program code of the display control step of controlling to display the input window and a display window displayed in the image display step on a single screen of a display unit.
In order to achieve the above object, an image search apparatus according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, an image search apparatus for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
management means for managing the plurality of image data in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
input means for inputting an image which is used as a first query criteria using an input window;
image feature amount computing means for computing a first image feature amount of the image used as the first query criteria;
image similarity computing means for computing image similarity on the basis of the first image feature amount and the image feature amounts of the image data managed by the management means;
image display means for displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed by the image similarity computing means; and
determination means for determining on the basis of a second image feature amount of an image used as a second query criteria which is input by the input means when a research is made by modifying the first query criteria, and the first image feature amount, whether or not the image similarity computing means and the image display means are executed.
In order to achieve the above object, an image search method according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, an image search method for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
the management step of managing the plurality of image data in a storage medium in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
the image feature amount computing step of computing a first image feature amount of an image which is input on an input window and is used as a first query criteria;
the image similarity computing step of computing image similarity on the basis of the first image feature amount and the image feature amounts of the image data managed in the storage medium in the management step;
the image display step of displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed in the image similarity computing step; and
the determination step of determining on the basis of a second image feature amount of an image used as a second query criteria which is input on the input window when a research is made by modifying the first query criteria, and the first image feature amount, whether or not the image similarity computing step and the image display step are executed.
In order to achieve the above object, a computer readable memory according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, a computer readable memory that stores a program code of an image search for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
a program code of the management step of managing the plurality of image data in a storage medium in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
a program code of the image feature amount computing step of computing a first image feature amount of an image which is input on an input window and is used as a first query criteria;
a program code of the image similarity computing step of computing image similarity on the basis of the first image feature amount and the image feature amounts of the image data managed in the storage medium in the management step;
a program code of the image display step of displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed in the image similarity computing step; and
a program code of the determination step of determining on the basis of a second image feature amount of an image used as a second query criteria which is input on the input window when a research is made by modifying the first query criteria, and the first image feature amount, whether or not the image similarity computing step and the image display step are executed.
In order to achieve the above object, an image search apparatus according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, an image search apparatus for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
storage means for storing the plurality of image data in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
input means for inputting an image using an input window;
image feature amount computing means for computing an image feature amount of the image input by the input means;
image similarity computing means for computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed by the image feature amount computing means, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the storage means;
image display means for displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed by the image similarity computing means; and
interruption means for interrupting the display by the image display means.
In order to achieve the above object, an image search method according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, an image search method for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
the storage step of storing the plurality of image data in a storage medium in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
the image feature amount computing step of computing an image feature amount of an image input on an input window;
the image similarity computing step of computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed in the image feature amount computing step, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the storage medium in the storage step;
the image display step of displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed in the image similarity computing step; and
the interruption step of interrupting the display in the image display step.
In order to achieve the above object, a computer readable memory according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, a computer readable memory that stores a program code of an image search for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
a program code of the storage step of storing the plurality of image data in a storage medium in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
a program code of the image feature amount computing step of computing an image feature amount of an image input on an input window;
a program code of the image similarity computing step of computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed in the image feature amount computing step, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the storage medium in the storage step;
a program code of the image display step of displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed in the image similarity computing step; and
a program code of the interruption step of interrupting the display in the image display step.
In order to achieve the above object, an image search apparatus according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, an image search apparatus for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
storage means for storing the plurality of image data in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
input means for inputting an image using an input window;
image feature amount computing means for computing an image feature amount of the image input by the input means;
image similarity computing means for computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed by the image feature amount computing means, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the storage means;
image display means for displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed by the image similarity computing means; and
cache means for caching image data displayed once by the image display means.
In order to achieve the above object, an image search method according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, an image search method for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
the storage step of storing the plurality of image data in a first storage medium in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
the image feature amount computing step of computing an image feature amount of the image input on an input window;
the image similarity computing step of computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed in the image feature amount computing step, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the first storage medium in the storage step;
the image display step of displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed in the image similarity computing step; and
the cache step of caching, in a second storage medium, image data displayed once in the image display step.
In order to achieve the above object, a computer readable memory according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, a computer readable memory that stores a program code of an image search for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
a program code of the storage step of storing the plurality of image data in a first storage medium in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
a program code of the image feature amount computing step of computing an image feature amount of the image input on an input window;
a program code of the image similarity computing step of computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed in the image feature amount computing step, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the first storage medium in the storage step;
a program code of the image display step of displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed in the image similarity computing step; and
a program code of the cache step of caching, in a second storage medium, image data displayed once in the image display step.
In order to achieve the above object, an image search apparatus according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, an image search apparatus for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
storage means for storing the plurality of image data in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
input means for inputting an image;
image feature amount computing means for computing an image feature amount of the image input by the input means;
image similarity computing means for computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed by the image feature amount computing means, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the storage means;
image display means for displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed by the image similarity computing means;
discrimination means for discriminating whether or not image data to be displayed by the image display means is image data which has already been displayed in a previous display process; and
control means for controlling the display by the image display means on the basis of a discrimination result of the discrimination means.
In order to achieve the above object, an image search method according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, an image search method for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
the storage step of storing the plurality of image data in a first storage medium in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
the image feature amount computing step of computing an image feature amount of an input image;
the image similarity computing step of computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed in the image feature amount computing step, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the first storage medium in the storage step;
the image display step of displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed in the image similarity computing step;
the discrimination step of discriminating whether or not image data to be displayed in the image display step is image data which has already been displayed in a previous display process; and
the control step of controlling the display in the image display step on the basis of a discrimination result in the discrimination step.
In order to achieve the above object, a computer readable memory according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, a computer readable memory that stores a program code of an image search for searching an image database that stores a plurality of image data for desired image data, comprises:
a program code of the storage step of storing the plurality of image data in a first storage medium in correspondence with image feature amounts of the image data;
a program code of the image feature amount computing step of computing an image feature amount of an input image;
a program code of the image similarity computing step of computing image similarity on the basis of the image feature amount computed in the image feature amount computing step, and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the first storage medium in the storage step;
a program code of the image display step of displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the image similarity computed in the image similarity computing step;
a program code of the discrimination step of discriminating whether or not image data to be displayed in the image display step is image data which has already been displayed in a previous display process; and
a program code of the control step of controlling the display in the image display step on the basis of a discrimination result in the discrimination step.